Amazing food, great portions, fantastic service, to top it, virgin margheritas, best mexican place i have been to.

Terrible food terrible service waited upwards of 90 minutes for my burrito which came out cold also I overheard a server ask a manager if they should get new food for a customer as they dropped it on the ground in the kitchen the manager said no because they didn't see it happen will definitely not be returning and I advise people not to go truely horrible read more

Food was delicious and by far the best Mexican food in Ithaca. Decor was stunning. Wait service was attentive although they did have an issue with the credit card machine. I chalk that up to having just opened a week ago. Extensive menu with a large combo list. Love that it's meat-centric. We need more places like that in Ithaca. read more

Food was flavorless. Salad was a bizarre mix of a fist full of things thrown in a bowl. Rice was inedible. I am not picky. This was not good. read more

Finally an authentic Mexican restaurant in Ithaca! Food was pretty good! Service was great! Love the Latin music playing in the background!!! I will definitely be coming back again! read more

Coming from California, this is the closest you can get to good Mexican food in Ithaca. I still prefer the margaritas at Viva and Agave, but the food at Old Mexico is much much better! (And they give free chips and salsa) I recommend the carnitas read more

Nice and friendly place. Lots of combos - and willing to substitute to make any fish vegetarian. Very reasonably priced. I had a combo with Chilli Relleno, an enchilada and a taco. Dessert was churros with Apple stuffing and caramel sauce. read more

The staff was very friendly at old Mexico and they made us feel at home. The environment was very traditional Mexico. But the food was not up to par. I ordered the Quesadilla Rellenos and I would not recommend. I ordered it to have shredded beef but instead I got a tortilla full of liquid cheese and peppers with no meat. It was very salty. The rest of the people in my party enjoyed their food besides the ones that ordered the quesadilla rellenos. read more

Food is terrific. I'm not a conniosour of Mexican cuisine but everything I've tried there is delicious, hot a fresh. Must try the refried beans, and that's coming from a person who doesn't really like beans. Last time I got the hungry coyote and really enjoyed it. Chicken topped with cheese, onion and mushroom, refried beans and rice, with taco shells as well; everything you could want on one plate. The servers are friendly, though sometimes slow. I like the fact that they bring you chips and salsa before each meal, takes the edge off the delay in the food. Monday night happy hours with half priced margaritas, can't beat that with a baseball bat! read more

Walked here from our hotel because we knew about happy hour and taco Tuesday $.99 burritos from Yelp. Make sure you ask about it since I'm not sure we would've been made aware of the specials but the waitress. Very yummy chips and salsa. Tacos were alright, they were great for a dollar though! read more

We also tried this place, on opening day. They were extra busy. So we expected some problems. I feel that the pricing and portion sizes are accurate. The food tasted as expected. It's an American resturant. People must get a clue, real Mexican food is nothing like our version. So it is good for what it is. Very good. The atmosphere was very nice. Our sever also had the dazed look in her eyes, but I'm sure her inexperience was the factor. The salsa needs to be a bit milder for the gringos, and a bit hotter for the connoisseurs- a mild and hot choice. The Pico de Gallo was a bit hotter than we prefer also. I believe they will be able to work the kinks out soon. Including the crew, and we all know, they will have a steady rotation of servers for the next few months. Until they find the keepers. read more

Finally, a Mexican restaurant in Ithaca that is not all mush and canned food. The lunch menu is varied, the main menu is extensive and the tequila drinks are very tasty. The food has flavor and is visually appealing. I have had several meals there--the enchilada suizas were amazing. The waitstaff is very attentive and friendly and the kitchen does revisions, additions and exceptions without a hitch. And, guess what, the restaurant is owned and run by a Mexican family. Imagine that! read more

I've been going to Old Mexico regularly for years, including their express location in Collegetown. However, the last few times I've been their I had the worst server -- an older caucasian woman -- who has always treated us with such respect. The most recent time we went, this weekend, she ignored our table for the first 10-15 minutes of us being there before slamming down chips and salsa at our table and leaving. She didn't even ask us what we wanted to drink. When she comes back another 10 or so minutes later to get our order, my boyfriend goes first telling her his order. I tell her what I want, starting with drink order which just know is taking after us being there for at least 20 minutes, then the food I want. She is busy writing on her pen before looking back at me and snapping, "What do you want?" After. I. Just. Told. Her. Okay, maybe she was busy writing my partner's order and didn't hear me so I repeated, starting with the drink I wanted, and she snapped, "No not that. The food." So she heard my drink but not my food and made no acknowledgment of either or told which she didn't hear. So I told her then I walked outside to cool because I was so annoyed. I know service work is hard but every time I have been to this restaurant and had her as a server she treats me and other people of color terribly. She will laugh up and dote on other people's table but avoids our table like the plague. It's even been noted on by other people I have gone to this place with. On this occasion, after giving us our food, she didn't check on us until we asked for the check. I don't think I'll return anytime soon and if I do, I'll be sure to ask not to be in her section. read more

I like Old Mexico because you can actually talk and hear what others say. That and the on-site parking are just the beginning. The wait staff are SO friendly, and the food is delicious. I liked the taste of the salsa, which was thin but delicious. I'd love to have more choices on the combos (and fixings like rice, beans and lettuce/tomato/guacamole/sour cream on the side), and to have a bean and cheese burrito option. The margaritas are great. A welcome alternative to Viva. read more

Dining by myself. Had chicken fajitas that came with virtually no onions and an abundance of green peppers. Chicken was bland, salsa also bland. Table service was very slow. If this is the highest rated Mexican restraunt in Ithaca read more

Mexican food is my favorite, i have been really unhappy with the choices in this area since i moved from texas, this place is better than some of the mexican restaurants in texas, thats saying alot, if you do not like the food here then you dont like mexican food. read more

The food was decent. The taco salad was simple but surprisingly flavorful. The service was slow, despite being pretty quite in the reataurant, but the staff was very friendly. However, we found a hair in the salsa; when we brought it to the waiter's attention he just took the salsa back and brought our another. No apologies, manager didn't come to the table....nothing. Didn't really feel like finishing our meal after that. read more

Way to strike out Old Mexico. My wife and I were very excited about the opening of a new Mexican restaurant in Ithaca but were sadly disappointed. Old Mexico failed in three distinct ways. First, the chips that came as part of the complimentary chips and salsa were under salted and oily. Second, my wife's order of the steak fajita quesadilla was terrible. The steak had an off taste as if it was going bad. When we spoke to the manager about it, he told us that it was because the cook incorrectly cooked the meat on the flat iron, as opposed to the grill. Call me crazy, but I didn't know that the incorrect cooking technique would lead to an off taste. Third and most shameful, our waiter was awful. He was uninterested in engaging us or even being polite. Also, he does not know the menu or understand Mexican food. When I ordered the Al Pastor Street Tacos, he asked me what kind of meat I wanted. In a surprised voice, I told him pork. Later I realized that he tried to charge me extra for "upgrading" to pork. Hah, look at your menu, the dish is made exclusively with pork. Finally and worst of all, he never came by our table to ask how we were enjoying the food and even disregarded me nodding (across the room) for him to come to the table. There are of course many problems with him not checking on us, but the real issue here was my wife's bad plate. We couldn't get someone to our table for probably 10-15 minutes. At that point, we just wanted to leave. The manager did take my wife's item off the bill but then I had to argue that there shouldn't be a pork upcharge on the Al Pastor Street Tacos. read more

My sister and I went here for dinner tonight (a Monday night around 7pm, so not that busy). For starters the service was terrible. All the food (including appetizer) came out at the same time and fairly quickly. Though it was a bit annoying to get the appetizer at the same time as the main course I was impressed by the speed. That is until I realized the cheese in my quesadilla was barely melted! Once we realized this we tried to get our waitress back but she was no where to be found. We even asked the hostess to go find her but to no prevail. We eventually ended up asking a different waitress for help and my quesadilla was replaced. Besides the disappointing service, the restaurant was ok. The food was fine but not presented very well. Restaurant seemed clean and decor was fine. read more

Thought we'd try out this new restaurant in November. It was terrible! It seemed as if our meals were made ahead of time and just microwaved. We ordered and within 5 minutes had our food. Mine was cold in the middle. Would not recommend it - yes they had free chips and salsa, and large servings but it was not good! read more

The food here has never disappointed me. The atmosphere seems a little on the cheesy side with the overwhelming decor but does not take away from the general dining experience. I would say this place has standard service and prices but the servers I've encountered didn't seem very friendly. Not mean, just not very friendly. read more

Like some others, I am trying to boost that unbelievable 3 1/2 star rating. I am from Southern California and grew up with Mexican food and this is the best to hit Ithaca in the 30 years I've lived in the area. The first few years I lived here there was nothing, except the Rongo way up in Trumansburg and I was not a happy camper. Then The Rose offered a few items that I enjoyed (but now it's gone). Viva Taqueria has had staying power but I was never impressed. Ditto Chipotle, Chili's and Moes. Agava by East Hill plaza was over priced (is it still there?). Gorgers Tacos and Coyote Loco have come and gone- missed them completely but from Gorgers menu I don't think I'd have liked it. Couldn't find Coytote Loco's. Googling also brought up Bickering Twins. Must try it. It's gets better ratings here. Could it take over Old Mexico for first place in my book? I doubt it. A vegetarian empanada? Give me a break. But I'm glad they note that all items are gluten free unless noted- one reason I love Mexican food. I'd love to try the homemade chorizo The location is not as convenient for parking. Ditto Viva Taqueria. I missed Coyote Loco. Now there's Loco (no website or posted menu) and Luna (Banh Mi, tofu wings, pork belly baos?). Don't think I'll try them. I have yet to try all the offerings at Old Mexico but everything I've had is delicious and authentic, just the way it should be. So many restaurants make enchiladas wrong. My friend loves the low carb fajitas. The decor is just right, the music appropriate and not too loud. I like everything about Old Mexico (except no tamales- most restaurants do a poor job with those), May it prosper! It has grown with the offshoot of Zocalo at the Mall- a trendier place. Old Mexico caters to students, too, with drink specials several nights of the week and 99 cent Taco Tuesdays. Old Mexico has a rocking Cinqo de Mayo celebration. Viva Old Mexico! read more

I much preferred Garcia's to this place. Generous portions, but uninspired. Salsa given with chips is not homemade and much of the food seems to be straight from a can... Yes Viva's is not authentic, but at least it is fresh made and tasty. I would recommend that you go there instead, otherwise visit the Garcia's in Cortland. read more

This place is great!! Delicious food, huge portion sizes, and the service was excellent. I would highly recommend.

The decor was nice and the staff were good and seemed to care. Prices fine and wanted to like it. We all thought the food was somewhat bland - ok, just not really good. read more

Their queso is the absolute best! The most authentic Mexican food I have had while living upstate, and I should know as I travel to Mexico every now and then for work and for pleasure! Definitely recommend! read more

I would really like to give them 4 stars, but am sticking with 3 for now. Overall, our experience was pretty good. The hot, fresh chips and salsa (both complimentary) were very good. All 4 of us each had our own salsa bowl which was nice. 3 out of 4 of us were pretty happy with the meal, though there were a few anomalies. I had the Al Pastor Street Tacos which had excellent flavor and little crisp edges, but it really could have used some salsa or something else to break it up a bit from the meat and lettuce. The corn tortillas were high quality but served steamed only which I would definitely preferred them to have been fried up a little. My friend's liked their fish tacos and chimichanga just fine, but our other friend had a chicken dish that weirded her out. She said the texture was like it was undercooked, but it wasn't pink at all. It was tough, but juicy. It freaked her out a bit and we surmised that maybe it was a frozen chicken breast that had been microwaved before being cooked. She mentioned it to the waiter who, before she could finish describing the issue, said "weird texture" and offered a discount. He had definitely heard the comment elsewhere. He was nice, but a bit odd and made some off comment about the kitchen not speaking English that wasn't too flattering to the establishment ( I wouldn't want my staff to say anything like that, put it that way). In the end, I would definitely go back as there are a wide selection of entrees that look interesting along with a Dinner Combo menu that has straight fare for $8.75. I'm sure they can work out all these issues in time and will earn a 4 or 5 star rating. Good Luck Old Mexico. read more

Yeah just average. Could definitely be cleaner. The water & soda tasted gross like the soda lines had mold & kool aid in them. They need cleaning! The bathroom toilets were running. This place has potential if they would clean it better. read more

Great staff, amazing fish tacos, excellent margaritas, made a bad day into a very good day!

The worst! Don't bother. The menu is confusing, the drinks weak, and the food completely tasteless. Taco Bell does it better than this place. read more

Best Mexican Food around great customer service. Love going on Mondays for the 2 dollar margaritas. Owner is also very nice and friendly and 100% customer oriented. Have been returning since they opened and will keep going back. Keep up the good work. read more

Old Mexico is really worth your time to stop at. This is one of my favorite places to eat! The portions are very large and the staff is pretty attentive to your needs. The food is excellent and you leave with that "Thanksgiving dinner" feeling. One thing I would say to watch out for is that the one male waiter doesn't completely understand English so he doesn't always know what you are trying to tell him. They will keep bringing chips and salsa for free and the salsa is really good and always fresh unlike some other places that I have been to. The atmosphere is cool, clean, and well decorated. read more

I ordered a #9 on the lunch list--a tamale and a beef tostada with refried beans. The refried beans were very bland, close to tasteless. The tamale was pretty good. The beef tostada came without beef. The service was very fast; give them a plus. I mentioned to the server that there was no beef on the tostada. She said she would adjust the bill, but forgot. When I reminded her, the adjustment was $.33. She also took my credit card, but forgot to return it; I had to find her to get it back. Conclusion: you can easily find a better place. read more

I have never eaten such horrible mexican food in my life. The only good thing was the chips that came free. They were warm and fresh but served with a "salsa" a term used loosely as it seemed to be plain tomato sauce with a little hot sauce added. My beef taco was ground beef (unseasoned) served in a corn tortilla with shredded lettuce and a bland shredded cheese. The chicken taco was also served (unseasoned) with shredded lettuce and bland cheese but soggy. The enchilada was a flour tortilla rolled around unseasoned beef with the "salsa" from above poured over it with some of the same bland cheese Refried beans appeared to come directly from a can with some bland cheese sprinkled over it. Rice was also bland and served with cheese. there were no toppings offered. Our waitress was satisfactory but seemed bored. Our bill came as a total no itemization no separate tax! If we did not remember how much our charges should be we could have been billed anything!! We will not be back!! read more

It was the worst Mexican food we ever had! We drove 1 hour to try this Mexican restaurant out, the food was very bad and the service was even worse. We should have know because when we pulled in the parking lot there were only 2 other car. The food was inedible but we couldn't complain because or server never returned. We saw he in the back bar just sitting. When we finally got the other server she did at least refill our drinks. Then we waited about 20 mins for our bill but he never brought it out, so we went up to the register to get the bill and the manager showed up when we told him the server never returned he got rude with us snapping well it's right here and he pulled a duplicate out of the register. When we repeated that he never returned to our table he ignored that and just repeated the amount of the bill. He just would not listen to us. So lesson learned we will never go back, and we did let all our friends and family know what happened and to never go there. I'm sure it will be closing soon. read more